"Monopolise Novgorod" mission for Russia is impossible unless nobody colonises new world. What to do?

[Blunder Bro]

It is 1720, and as the Russian Empire I have Great Britain as a personal union, I control every Baltic coastal province, I am second only to Spain, and I have reached Russian peak historical territory with decent mercantilism and full trade ideas.

I am steering the vast majority if not 100% from the following trade nodes towards Novgorod where my capital is collecting:
- Girin: 92%
- Siberia: 100%
- Samarkand: 83%
- Astrakhan: 100%
- Crimea: 89%
- Kiev: 100%
- Novgorod: 90% valued at 157.49, outgoing 20.97, collecting 250.41.

I need Novgorod to be 50% controlled by me (check), and to be the highest value trade node in the world, but Spain controls 75% of the Americas and their capital trade node of Sevilla is valued at 310.50. I have max upgraded every centre of trade in Novgorod, maxed out trade value buildings and trade companies to get as much value collecting in Novgorod as I can. My colonists are working on increasing development only where there is 30% chance and above. I have the latest trade ship classes boosting trade everywhere. But I just cannot compete.

But no matter what I do, the gap between Novgorod and Sevilla is growing. I can't get "Monopolize Novgorod" mission requirements that will allow me to complete "Great Power Of The East" and unlock the final missions because I

[Marquoz]

As Russia, my goal is to sprint southeast as fast as possible. I start the conquest of India around 1550, after finishing up the nodes in Persia, Basra, Hormuz, and Samarkand. After that, it's time to move on to southeast Asia.

Trade from all of those regions can be sent to Novgorod and will make it by far the most valuable node in the game. If you want to expand into the Kiev, Baltic, and Siberian nodes while waiting for truce timers to expire, sure, why not. But focus your efforts where the wealth is. India makes Russia into an unstoppable colossus.

[grotaclas]

Originally posted by Blunder Bro:

"Monopolise Novgorod" mission for Russia is impossible unless nobody colonises new world.

That's obviously false, because you can just conquer the whole world and steer everything to novgorod which can be steered there and collect in the other nodes so that they can't get so much trade value.

But there are other less extreme ways to complete the mission. Like Marquoz said, you can steer a lot of valuable asian trade to Novgorod. And the mission also has the option to complete it with the nodes White Sea or Baltic. Using the baltic node would make it possible to get more eastern european and westen asian trade and some eastern african trade

. But you must also conquer the next downstream node so that there is no value which leaves the node

Originally posted by Blunder Bro:

IMy colonists are working on increasing development only where there is 30% chance and above.

That's a waste of resources. The amount of development that it can give you is tiny and the impact on your trade value will be negligible. It is better to use them to colonize new provinces to open up expansion opportunities or even abandon the idea groups if there is nothing left to colonize.

Originally posted by Blunder Bro:

I have max upgraded every centre of trade in Novgorod, maxed out trade value buildings and trade companies to get as much value collecting in Novgorod as I can

Did you maximize the trade power of your trade companies or did you maximize the goods produced which you get in non-TC provinces which are in the same node as the trade companies? The latter will give much more trade value

[edd]

You have to use factories and trade companies efficiently to achieve that otherwise it is hard to pass colonial nations. Trade companies boosts the production and trade income for that trade node. Just give 2 states to trade company and upgrade it's trade value. Since you are in the Age of Enlightment 60 percent trade company boost local goods produced by 100% with trade income.
Here is the wiki page for Trade Company https://eu4.paradoxwikis.com/Trade_company#Effects_of_trade_companies

[Jean-Maurice Nya]

Crush Spain and takes its colonies. Send the wealth across the Pacific.
And go crazy on expansion in all Asia as well. 100 years is far enough to change the tide. Especially with Russia.

[Damphair]

Have you trade companied anything at all? 7 Merchants in 1720 is way to little, you should be having around 20. Also please post a screenshot if you can, it helps a lot to see where you are struggling.

Judging from what you've said I'd say you are far to small, by the 1700ies with imperialism you should be having the majority if not almost all of Asia under you and everything trade companied with the right trade company investments and manufacturies. Even without Novgorod being and end node you can still get way more gold into your node than the English Channel, Sevilla and Constantinople. And this node should be at least 90% controlled by you, if you have too strong neighbouring merchants seeping away trade from your home node then make sure you control it's neighbouring steering nodes (Baltic Sea, White Sea, North Sea). Since you can trade company western europe I'd recommend collecting in the baltics and white sea whenever you get excess merchants.

And take your merchants off trade nodes that you already control, like Kazan and Siberia since that trade already funnels into you since there is no other nation owning proinvces there. You want to control the trade by having your merchants steering in nodes where the trade might be going to another node unless you compete with it. For example Crimea, Kiev, Astrakhan and Persia.

[Marquoz]

Originally posted by Damphair:

And take your merchants off trade nodes that you already control, like Kazan and Siberia since that trade already funnels into you since there is no other nation owning proinvces there.

Even when you have 100% control of a node, you still want a merchant there for the trade steering multiplier. Long trade chains with merchants in every node are the the biggest money-maker in the entire game by an enormous margin. Between trade companies, base merchants, colonial nations, global trade, and idea groups, you should have enough merchants to create such chains.

[Totally Innocent Chatbot]

Quite a few missions are not going to be possible to reasonably completed if you intend to play largely "historically". The lands that Russia historically expanded into are relatively poor in-game, and not great for maximizing the trade value of your home node even if you squeeze every ducat possible out of them. The wealth of Persia, India, and China is far greater, and is going to be necessary to compete with the great value pouring into Europe from the New World, Africa, and the East Indies if you're too late with getting to missions like this - if it's the 1700's and Spain already owns most of the Americas, that means you're quite a bit too late.

Your PU over Great Britain, while nice for your military might, is irrelevant to the situation of this mission, apart from the fact that you've kept them from declaring any further wars to increase the value of the English Channel - Junior Partners do not give you any direct monetary benefits, trade or otherwise. Upgrading Trade Centers and building Marketplaces and their upgrades increase Trade Power, not Trade Value, so they are of no use in nodes you completely control. Manufactories and certain Trade Company investments are the only buildings that can directly increase Trade Value, by increasing Goods Produced. Buildings that increase Production Efficiency, not Goods Produced, such as Workshops and Counting Houses, also have no effect on Trade Value.

Originally posted by Damphair:

And take your merchants off trade nodes that you already control, like Kazan and Siberia since that trade already funnels into you since there is no other nation owning proinvces there. You want to control the trade by having your merchants steering in nodes where the trade might be going to another node unless you compete with it. For example Crimea, Kiev, Astrakhan and Persia.

Trade Steering. For every node that Trade Value passes through where you have a Merchant actively Transferring, that Trade Value is multiplied. This can accumulate to quite the large boost once you have a nice chain of nodes being pushed all the way back to your home node - though when you only have 7 merchants pushing trade in from multiple different directions, you haven't quite reached that point yet.

[Octopuses]

TC everything in asia and steer trade you should be fine.

[bri]

Originally posted by Marquoz:

Originally posted by Damphair:

And take your merchants off trade nodes that you already control, like Kazan and Siberia since that trade already funnels into you since there is no other nation owning proinvces there.

Even when you have 100% control of a node, you still want a merchant there for the trade steering multiplier. Long trade chains with merchants in every node are the the biggest money-maker in the entire game by an enormous margin. Between trade companies, base merchants, colonial nations, global trade, and idea groups, you should have enough merchants to create such chains.

While this is somewhat true, it is nearly always better to steer in nodes with multiple outgoing paths than to plop a merchant on a single route node if you have the choice. Kazan is almost never somewhere I place a merchant as Russia, for example. Before I unpause I move the merchant from there to Astrakhan so more value heads my way...

[Kapika96]

You really want to get it done as soon as possible. The earlier you do it the easier it is. Spam manufacturies and get into China ASAP.

You can also disrupt American trade and prevent it from ever reaching Spain. Build a large fleet of light ships and have them privateer in the Caribbean, Ivory Coast etc. Any trade you steal there can't make it back to Sevilla.

[Damphair]

Originally posted by Marquoz:

Even when you have 100% control of a node, you still want a merchant there for the trade steering multiplier. Long trade chains with merchants in every node are the the biggest money-maker in the entire game by an enormous margin. Between trade companies, base merchants, colonial nations, global trade, and idea groups, you should have enough merchants to create such chains.

Ah I didn't know that, good to know.

[QTV]

Privateer/blockade Spain and colonies. Even occupying them could solve this.